Ethnography : Cox Hall

Sunlight. A path. Glass doors. I had made it. Cox Hall.

Every freshman goes through a time period where the sight of the food in the DUC produces a gag reflex and they just cannot bring themselves to enter the building. Already, according to freshman Jordan Lempert, the food available in the DUC is “below par” and, at best, “mediocre”. That is when he discovered the plethora of options available just a short walk away in Cox Hall. 

Cox Hall is another dining option for students on campus, with different cuisine themed restaurants that all accept Dooley Dollars. To get a first person insight into the food and atmosphere, I visited Cox Hall on 20th September at 2.30 pm. As I entered, I noticed the greasy yet enticing aromas of the nearby Mexican-themed restaurant, Twisted Tacos. However, blended into this smell were other, more subtle smells from the other restaurants, that permeated the dining area of Cox. Observing further, I noticed that there were roughly 60 people in the hall, even though I had decided to go after the prime lunch time. Looking around, I decided to visit Bhojanic, the Indian cuisine restaurant. While standing in line, I had a look at the menu and recognized several items of food, commonly found in my hometown of Mumbai. I ordered the two piece samosas and the chick pea curry with rice. What I immediately noticed, and what corroborated with what freshman Jordan had said, was that the quantity of food was huge. Additionally, sophomore Ishaan Sethi, who was accompanying me on this meal, observed that all food is given in take-out containers, which is a big benefit for college students, who can store and then eat this food later as well. 

Seating in Cox, according to Jordan, was much more preferable than the DUC as in Cox, there were couches available, as well as large and small tables, which accommodated any sized groups. Additionally, a level above the cafetaria is a computer lounge complete with bean bags and gaming consoles to relieve some stress from upcoming exams and quizzes.

After eating in Cox, and interviewing both freshman Jordan Lempert and sophomore Ishaan Sethi, I have concluded that Cox is the superior dining option on campus, and the computer lounge is just an additional benefit of Cox Hall. One thing that Jordan said he was not happy with in Cox was the placement of garbage bins outside the actual hall, and said he would prefer if the garbage bins “were more accessible”. Additionally, I think that a lot more freshmen would be more motivated to visit Cox Hall if they could exchange their meal swipes for food. However, overall, through the interviews and my own experiences, I would definitely recommend Cox Hall to all Emory students who are looking for a satisfying alternative to the DUC.